Heat exchanger



Jan. 10, 1939. M. H. KOTZEBUE HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Sept. 18, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet l in in W ["LH. KOTZEBUE.

m ENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 10, 1939. M. KOTZEBUE m HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Sept. 18, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I (P I M.H.KoTzEBuE. I

INVENTOR A TTORNE Y Jan. 10, 1939. I M. H. KOTZEBUE 2,143,157

- HEAT EXGHANGER Filed Sept. 18, 19 36 4 Sheets-Sheet s M;H.KOTZEBUE.

ATTORNEY M. H. KOTZEBUE HEAT EXCHANGER Jan. 10, 1939.

Filed Sept. 18, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 N.H.K TzEBuE. INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 10, 1939 g r 2,143,157

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE HEAT ExcnANGEn Meinhard n.- Kotzebue, Tulsa, Okla. Application September 18, 1936, Serial No. 101,512 r 12 Claims. (01. 251-255) This invention relates to heat exchangers and inlet and outlet head and taken on the line 6-6 the primary object of the invention is to provide of Figure 5. a practical, efiicient heat exchanger which is Figure 7 is a section through the inlet and outsimple in construction and may be manufac let head or fluid box and taken .on the line tured ,at a relatively low cost. 'I-'l of Figure 1. 5

Another object of the present invention is to Figure 8 is a detail section taken on the line provide in a heat exchanger a novel type of sup- 8-8 of Figure 1. i port plates for the tubes thereof, which support Figure 9 is a slightly enlarged detail section plates are constructed of a plurality of sections illustrating the manner of supporting the tubes 10 and are held in place by removable means, whereintermediate their ends. 10 by the support plates may be removed while the Figure 10 is a detail cross section taken on the heatexchanger is in operative position, to per line ill-40 of Figure 5. mit the giving of temperature shocks to the Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of tubes for the purpose of removing scale from one of the support plates.

5 the outside of the tubes, which scale accumulates Figure 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of i5 thereon'due to the evaporation of cooling water the supporting frame or structure of the heat on the tubes. 1 i exchanger showing fragments of the headers or A further object of the present invention is to fluid boxes thereon. 7 provide in a heat exchange headers which are Referring more particularly to the drawings,

small in size and still will not result in a mathe improved heat exchanger is what is comterial pressure drop of the liquid entering and mercially known as an atmospheric heat exchangleaving the tubes. er wherein a fluid, such as hot fractionated pe- Further objects of the present invention are troleum is passed through the tubes of the exto provide a heat exchanger in which the supchanger f the Purpose Of 00011118 t e flu d.

porting structure or frame is made up'of fabriand the tubesare exposed so that cooling water cated sheet metal and angular iron to provide may be showered over the tubes, the entire heat an inexpensive structure, and one wherein the exchanger immer d n tank of coming W r, headers or fluid boxes are connected directly to or the circulation of a about the tubes y b the tube heads by removable'bolts which lie utilized as a cooling medium, and the, present W wholly within the outer contour of the heat exheat exchanger emb i pp rt ng frame so changer. l which has tube sheets 2 and 3 removabiy con- With these and other objects in view, as may nested at each end thereof, which tube sheets appear from the accompanying specification, the have the tubes 4 connected thereto in the usual invention consists of various features of conmanner. The fluidto be cooled enters the inlet struction and combination of parts, which will and outlet head 5 through a suitable inlet 6, cir- 35 be first described in connection with the accomculates or passes through a predetermined porpanying drawings, showing a heat exchanger of tion of the tubes into the return head 1, is rethe preferred form embodying the invention, and turned to certain other of the tubes by themthe features forming the invention will be specuate partitiont formedin the head 5 and final- 49 cificallypointed outfin the claims. ly returns through the final pass'into the head 40 In the drawings: 5 and thence ou wardly through the outlet 9. Figure 1 is a top plan of the improved heat While in the drawings, afour-pass heat exchangexchanger having parts brokenaway. er is illustrated, that is, a heat exchanger in Figure 2 is a cross section through the heat which the fluid to be cooled passes four times exchangertalren on approximately the line 2 -2 through the length of the exchanger, it is to be 45 of Figure 1. f j, X 1. I l understood that aheat exchanger embodying Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section anyQdesirednumber of passes may'be'provided through the heat exchanger taken on the line without departing from the spirit of the present -3--3ofFigure 4 .f f inventiOnJ" 5' p 5'0 Figure 4 is; a" fragmentary verticaifl s'ection Forth e purpose of iajcilitatingthe manufecthrough theheat exchanger takenion the line "ture and assembly of the heatexchanger and 4-4 ofFigur'ei. z I k for the purpose of materially reducing its cost, a Figure 5 'is an end viewpartiy in sectionof novel type of supporting fra" e isprovided. This the inlet and outlet header'of the heat exchanger. "supporting'frame '1 comprises side members ll:

jigure 6 is a. horizontal section through the which are preferably formed of sheet metal cut away to form openings it through which the cooling medium passes for circulation about the tubes i. The side members 99 have their edges bent to form substantially right angular flanges 52 which extend throughout the entire length of the heat exchanger and are detachably connected by means of bolts indicatedat iii to angular irons it which are welded or otherwise suitably attached to the tube heads 2 and 3. Slots it are provided in the angular irons M to compensate for expansion and contraction of the tubes under heat variances. As clearly shown in Figures 8 and 10 of the drawings, the headers or fluid boxes 5 and l are detachably connected directly to the tube sheets 2 and 3 respectively by means of bolts M which extend through the tube sheets and are disposed whollywithin the outer contour of the tube heads. The disposing of the bolts l6 wholly within the outer contour of the heat exchanger is permitted by reason of the forming of the bolt receiving bosses l'l'within the respective headers or fluid boxes.

The arcuate partition 8 forms a curved path for the liquid flowing from one pass or set of tubes into the next or subsequent pass or set of tubes and results in the provision of headers which are small in size and prevents any material pressure drop in the liquid flowing through the heat exchanger. The arcuate or substantially semi-cylindrical partition 8 not only provides a curved path for the fluid flowing from the second to the third pass of the exchanger,. but it also provides convexly curved surfaces leading the fluid to and from the tubes of the first and final passes of the heat exchanger.

The tubes 4 are supported intermediate their ends by a novel type of support plate structure and these support plates which are generically indicated by the numerals 30 are each formed of a plurality of independent sections 3|. The sections 3| extend throughout the length of the support plates and transversely of the heat exchanger and they have their meeting edges substantially in the plane of the longitudinal axes of the tiers of tubes as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 11 of the drawings.

4, and provide joints in the support plates whereby the individual sections of the support plates may be removed for cleaning the tubes of scale in the manner hereinafter more fully described. The sections 3| of each of the support plates 30 rest against braces 33, the ends of which are angled as-shown at 34 and rest against and may be welded to the flanges l2 of the side members III of the supporting frame I. Removable pins 35 are inserted through the flanges l2 and engage the sides of the sections 3| oppositely to the sides of the sections which engage against the braces 33'. The pins 35 securelyhold the support plate sections in position during the normal oper-- ation of the heat exchanger.

In the drawings the support plate sections 3|- are illustrated as being made of wood or other material of greater pliability than the material of the tubes so as to prevent distortion of the tubes under heat variances, and while it is desirable to make the support plate sections of wood or analogous material, it is to be understood that they may be made of any suitable material or metal without departing from the spiritof the present invention.

When it is desired outside of the tubes,

to remove scale from the the removable pins 35 are Consequently each section 3l has a series of cut-out portions 32 therein which receive substantially one-half of the tubes arrears? removed, and the various sections 88 of the support plates are removed or turned upon their sides on the tubes so as to prevent their supporting action of the tubes. Steam is then put into the tubes which materially raises the temperature of the tubes, and causes expansion thereof, resulting in the elongation or buckling of the tubes. The scale which has accumulated on the tubes not having any tensile strength will crack under this treatment. cold water is sprayed over the tubes. The spraying of the cold water over the tubes causes them to contract or shrink in both length and diameter, and such contracting action will cause the scale to fall from the tubes. However, such scale as does not fall from the tubes will have water collected under it where it, has been loosened from the tubes, and a re-application of highpressure steam suddenly applied to the' tubes will cause such water to be converted into steam so rapidly that it will rgadily blow the scale from the tubes. Due to the rapid expansion, the tubes will writhe, further assisting in the removal of the scale.

It will be noted by particular reference to Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings, that the tubes in the various tiers of theheat exchanger are disposed staggeredly with respect to the tubes in the tiers next thereto so as, to provide proper distribution of the cooling medium over all of the tubes.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction or arrangement of parts shown but that they may be widely modified within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a heat exchanger, a supporting frame, tube sheets detachably connected to the ends of said frame, support plates for said tubes intermediate said tube sheets, said support plates being made up of a plurality of independent sections, braces for said frame carried thereby and forming abutments seotionsof the support plate engage, and removable pins carried by said supporting frame and engaging said support plate sections on the sides opposite to those engaging said braces.

2. In a heat exchanger, a supporting frame consisting entirely of a pair of oppositely disposed side members, tube sheets detachably connected to the ends of said side members, tubes carried by said tube sheets, braces intermediate the ends of said side members, a support plate for said tubes, said support plate abutting said braces, and removable means carried by said side members and engaging saidsupport plate to hold it against said braces. A

3. In a heat exchanger, a supporting frame consisting entirely of a pair of oppositely disposed side members, tube sheets detachably connected to the ends of said side members, tubes carried by said tube sheets, braces intermediate the ends of. said side members, a support plate for said tubes, said support plate abutting said braces, and removable pins carried by said side members and removable from the exterior of the supporting frame, said pins engaging said support plate for holding the support plate against said braces. Y

:1. In a heat exchanger, a. supporting frame consisting entirely of a pair of oppositely disposed side members, tube sheets detachably connected to the ends of said side members, tubes carried by said tube sheets, braces intermediate the ends oisaid side members, a support plate The steam is then cut ofi and I against which one side of the for said tubes, said support plate abutting said braces, removable pins carried by said side members and removable from the exterior of the supporting frame, said pins engaging said support plate for holding the support plate against said braces, said supporting plate being formed of a plurality of sections, and means detachably connecting said tube sheets to said side members to permit limited relative movement of the-support sheets and side members to compensate for expansion and contraction of the tubes.

5. In a heat exchanger, a supporting frame consisting entirely of a pair of oppositely disposed side members, tube sheets detachably connected to the ends of said side members, tubes carried by said tube sheets, braces intermediate the ends of said side members, a support plate for said tubes, said support plate abutting said braces, removable means carried by said side members and engaging said support plate to hold it against said braces, and fluid boxes detachably connected to said tube sheets independently of the connection of the tube sheets with said side members.

,6. In a heat exchanger, a supporting frame consisting entirely of a pair of oppositely disposed side members, tube sheets detachably connected to the ends of said side members, tubes carried by said tube sheets, braces intermediate the ends of said side members, a support plate for said tubes,

, said support plate abutting said braces, removable means carried by said side members and engaging said support plate to hold it against said braces, fluid boxes detachably connected to said tube sheets independently of the connection of the tube sheets with said side members, an arcuate partition in one of said fluid boxes and cooperating with the walls thereof to provide a curved return passage and inlet and outlet chambers in ,the fluid box, and fluid inlet and outlet connections on said fluid box provided with the partition.

7. In a heat exchanger, a supporting frame composed wholly of two oppositely disposed side members and being provided with openings therein to permit cross-circulation through the exchanger, tube sheets detachably connected to the ends of said side members, and fluid boxes detachably connected to said tube sheets independently of the connection of the tube sheets with the supporting frame.

8. In a heat exchanger, a supporting frame, a plurality of tubes, 2. support plate for said tubes formed of a plurality of sections of wood, the meeting edges of said sections being substantially in the planes of the longitudinal axes of the tubes, abutment means carried by said frame, the sides of said support plate sections at their ends engaging said abutments, and a removable pin carried by said frame and extending across and engaging the sides of said sections opposite the sides engaging said abutments at each end to hold the sections in contact with said abutments whereby the sections may be removed .by removal of the two pins.

9. In aheat exchanger, a supporting frame, a plurality of tubes, a support plate forsaid tubes formed of a plurality of sections, abutment members carried by said frame, one side of each of said support plate sections at their ends engaging said abutments, and a removable pin carried by said frame and extending across and engaging the other sides of said sections at each end to hold the sections in contact with said abutments. 10. In a heat exchanger, a supporting frame, tube sheets at the ends of said frame, fluid boxes removably attached to said tube sheets, tubes carried by said tube sheets, slip slot and bolt connections between said supporting frame and tube sheets to compensate for expansion and contraction of said tubes, a support plate for said tubes said support plate being built up of a plurality of sections, abutment members carried by said frame, one of the sides of each of said support plate sections at their ends engaging said abutments, and removable pins carried by said frame and extending across the other sides of said sections at each end to hold the sections in removable contact with said abutment members.

11. In a heat exchanger, a supporting frame composed entirely of two oppositely disposed side members having their edges angled and being provided with openings therein to permit crosscirculation through the exchanger, tube sheets detachably connected to the ends of said members, tubes carried by said tube sheets, a support plate for said tubes, abutment members carried by the angled edges of said side members and engaged by the sides of said support plate sections at their ends, and removable pins carried by said side members and engaging against the sides of said sections opposite to the sides engaging said abutment members for removably holding the sections against the abutment members.

12. In a heat exchanger, a supporting frame composed entirely of two-oppositely disposed side members having their edges angled and being provided with openings therein to permit crosscirculation through the exchanger, tube sheets, tubes carried by said tube sheets, a support plate for said tubes, abutment members carried by the angled edges of said side members and engaged by the sides of said support plate sections at their ends, and removable pins carried by said 

